Sushi Making for Large Groups at Your London Office: What Actually Makes It Work
- Tomono
- Mar 17
- 8 min read
I have run a lot of large events. And in my experience, the ones that work brilliantly and the ones that fall flat often come down to a handful of small decisions. Not the big obvious things like food or venue, but the details that an organiser either thought about in advance or did not.
This month we ran a sushi making event for 100 people at Hartree Partners in Victoria. The organiser told me afterwards that he had simply searched 'sushi making London at my office' and we came up. What made that event work was not just the sushi. It was the format, the flow, the wasabi counter that nobody expected, the kimonos that made people laugh before the session had even properly started. It was the fact that at the end of the evening, we packed everything away and left the office exactly as we found it. We have over 285 five-star Google reviews, and events like this one are why.
If you are planning a sushi making event for a large group in London, whether that is 50 people or 200+, this is what I have learned actually matters.
Why your office is usually the right venue
The instinct is often to hire somewhere. A private dining room, a cookery school, somewhere that feels like an 'event'. And for a group of ten or twelve, that can work well. But once you are planning for 50 or 80 or 200 people, an external venue creates problems that compound each other.
Getting a large group across London at the same time is genuinely hard. People run late. Colleagues coming from different parts of the city arrive in waves. By the time everyone is settled, you have lost 20 minutes and the energy in the room is uneven. You have also paid for a space you are using for a few hours.
Hosting at your own office solves almost all of this. Everyone is already there. The event can happen during or just after work hours without anyone needing to travel. For teams that come together quarterly from different offices or remote working arrangements, it grounds the occasion in a familiar space without the logistical headache of coordinating travel.
We also find it works particularly well for teams in new offices. There is something about turning your own meeting room or open-plan floor into a sushi kitchen, with blue tablecloths, lacquered bento boxes and Japanese music, that helps people feel settled in a space in a way that a normal working day does not.
We organise getting everything to you. We bring every piece of equipment, every ingredient, all serving ware and the kimonos. You do not need a loading bay or a car park. We have set up events in central London office buildings countless times and we know how to make it work whatever your building's logistics.
Why large groups work better than you might think
People often assume hands-on food activities are best kept small. I understand why. The image of a cookery class is usually a small group standing around a kitchen watching a chef. That is not what we do, and it is especially not what we do for large groups.
The format we use for large groups works like this. The room is divided into small tables of around five people. One person from each table comes up to a central teaching station, where I give them guided, hands-on instruction in a particular technique, rolling maki, making temari, shaping nigiri or others. They then go back to their table and teach their colleagues what they have just learned. This is the part where things get genuinely funny. The instructions get interpreted creatively. People surprise themselves and each other. There are a lot of giggles.
After a set amount of time, I ring a bell. The next person from each table comes up to the teaching station to learn the next skill, and the cycle continues until every technique has been covered. My assistants and I move around the room in between, helping out, answering questions and making sure everyone is getting on. By the end of the session, everyone at every table has both learned from me directly and taught their colleagues something themselves.
The size of the group adds to this rather than diluting it. A room of 100 people all making sushi at once has an energy that a room of twelve simply does not. It feels like a real occasion.
The details that make the difference
Start with kimonos and a drink
We always begin by offering guests the chance to dress in traditional kimonos. This sounds like a small thing but it matters enormously. It gives people something to do in the first few minutes, it creates an immediate sense of occasion, and most importantly it makes people laugh. Once someone has laughed, they are relaxed. And relaxed people make much better sushi.
Pairing this with a welcome drink means the arrival period feels warm rather than awkward. Nobody is standing around waiting for things to begin.
The fresh wasabi counter
This is the detail I am very proud of, and the one guests mention most in the days after an event.
Most people in the UK have only ever encountered wasabi as a green paste in a tube or a little foil packet. It is almost always horseradish with green colouring, not wasabi at all. Real wasabi, freshly grated from the rhizome on a traditional sharkskin grater, tastes completely different. It has a gentler, more complex heat that fades quickly rather than burning. It smells clean and fresh. People are genuinely surprised.
We set up a dedicated wasabi counter where guests can try it during the event. It is a moment of real discovery in the middle of an evening that could otherwise feel like a standard corporate activity. It is also a natural conversation starter. People want to talk about it, share it, compare notes.
A clear running order, start to finish
For large groups especially, structure is what allows everyone to relax. When people know what is happening next, when the session starts, how long each rotation lasts, when they eat what they have made, they stop thinking about logistics and start enjoying themselves.
We share a clear running order with the organiser in advance and communicate it to guests at the start of the evening. Every station is laid out before guests arrive. The pace is calm but purposeful. Nobody is standing around not knowing what to do.
Everything tidied away at the end
At the end of a long event, the last thing an organiser wants is to be left with a room full of equipment and packaging. We pack everything away completely, every piece of kit, every leftover ingredient, every tablecloth. The office is left exactly as we found it. For events that end in the evening, the space is ready for work the following morning without anyone needing to lift a finger.
"Tomono is so lovely and her course was so informative and cleverly done. We learned great skills, had such a great time and then delicious food at the end. From the kimonos, the decoration, the music, every little detail was thoroughly well thought through and just transported us to Japan for the evening. You must do the mystery challenge if you organise this for your team, it was hilarious. Great concept, will definitely do it again." ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Maddo Ford, HOOPP, St James, London
What to think about when planning
Group size and room layout. We adjust the table setup to suit the size of your group. At the Hartree event, for example, we divided the team into groups of five. We will work with whatever space you have, whether that is an open-plan floor, a boardroom or a large meeting room, and we will figure out the layout together during planning.
Dietary requirements. Sushi is one of the most naturally flexible foods for mixed-diet groups. We cater fully for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and most allergy requirements. We just ask for details in advance so we can prepare properly. Nobody should feel like an afterthought at a food event.
Timing. Most large group sessions run between 90 minutes and two hours including the kimono arrival, the sushi making and time to eat together. We can adjust this to fit your schedule, whether that is a lunch event, an after-work session or something built into a longer conference day.
Who we are. I am Tomono, originally from Kochi in Japan. Tomono Sushi Party has been recognised by the Embassy of Japan and the Japan Society in the UK as an authentic provider of Japanese food experiences. Our food hygiene rating is 5. We have run events for teams of 10 to 150 people across London, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Hertfordshire and Surrey.
Frequently asked questions
Can you run a sushi making event for a large group at our London office?
Yes, and this is our most common setup for large groups. We cover all London locations including the City, Canary Wharf, Victoria, Southwark, King's Cross and the West End. We arrive early, set everything up, run the event and leave the space completely clean.
We do not have a car park or loading bay. Will that be a problem?
Not at all. We have delivered events in central London office buildings countless times and we are used to working within whatever your building allows. Whether that means carrying equipment up in a lift, coordinating with your facilities team or finding creative solutions to access, we handle all of it. Just let us know the building logistics when you enquire and we will sort it from there.
How much notice do you need to book?
We can typically get an event organised within two weeks, and sometimes faster if your date is urgent. That said, the more notice we have the better, both for securing your preferred date and for making sure every detail is right. Popular dates around end of quarter and pre-summer can book up well in advance, so if you have a date in mind it is always worth getting in touch sooner rather than later. Do not assume a last-minute request cannot be accommodated. It very often can.
What is the maximum group size you can accommodate?
We have run events for up to 200+ people. For groups above 80 we have a more detailed planning conversation to make sure the format and room layout are right, but there is no ceiling we have hit that felt unmanageable with the right preparation.
What does the organiser need to provide?
Tables, access to water, and a confirmed headcount with dietary requirements ahead of the event. That is genuinely it. We bring every piece of equipment, every ingredient, all serving ware and the kimonos. We also organise getting everything to your building, so you do not need to worry about logistics at your end. We clear everything away completely at the end.
How long does a large group sushi making event last?
Most events run 90 minutes to two hours including the kimono arrival, the sushi making session and eating together. We can work to your schedule.
Can you cater for vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free guests?
Yes, fully. We ask for dietary requirements in advance and make sure every guest can participate completely and eat safely. This includes separate ingredient zones, gluten-free soy sauce and clear labelling throughout.
Get in touch
If you are planning a sushi making event for a large group at your London office, or anywhere else in the South East, I would love to hear about it. Tell us your headcount, your location and roughly when you are thinking, and we will come back to you quickly with what we can do.
"We booked Tomono Sushi Party for a corporate team social event and it was a fantastic experience. Tomono taught the art of sushi making to the team, making it fun and accessible despite the techniques involved. We had a great time and the sushi was amazing. They also catered for specific dietary requirements including vegan and vegetarian, which is a real plus. I would definitely recommend this for a team social or team building event."
Lena Briand, GoCardless, Barbican, London ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
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